BAHRAIN. The management and senior officials of Tunis Financial Harbour (TFH), the flag ship project of the Bahrain based Islamic investment bank, Gulf Finance House (GFH), led by Mr. Lutfi Alzaar, Chief Executive Officer of TFH met with the President of Turkey, Dr. Abdullah Gül, during his official visit to Tunisia.

The Turkish President was presented with an update on the progress of the megaproject, the role of the recently appointed DEMTAS Group, and the overall impact the project will have on the local and regional economies.

Mr Alzaar also held an exclusive meeting with project managers and co-ordinators of the DEMTAS Group, the recently appointed developers of the project to re-affirm and strengthen the strategic co-operation on the flagship project.

During the meeting, the project and technical specification documents, feasibilty studies and other official forms related to the project were presented to the DEMTAS Group representatives. Financial regulations and procedures related to the marketing of the project in Tunisa and abroad were also discussed.

In addition, Mr. Ziad Jouini, the Technical Director of the TFH project, presented the road network map which has been agreed with the Government of Tunisia to link the various access roads to TFH with the main roads. Ways to link the project to basic services such as water, natural gas, electricity and communications were also highlighted.

Following the meeting Mr Alzaar and the TFH team hosted an informative site visit for the Turkish delegation and members of the DEMTAS Group.

The TFH project will be North Africa’s very first offshore financial centre. The megaproject will focus on attracting local, regional and international banks and financial institutions, as well as leading regional Islamic banks and Islamic Investment Funds to the region.

The project will offer world class commercial infrastructure, an array of modern waterfront living and state-of-the-art office space for financial services institutions seeking access to the opportunities Tunisia offers as a strategic gateway between Europe and Africa.

About Gulf Finance HouseSince its establishment in 1999, Bahrain based Gulf Finance House (GFH) has been a key contributor in the development of regional Islamic financial institutions and infrastructure projects across the Middle East. Its shares are listed on the Kuwait Stock Exchange, the Bahraini Stock Exchange, the Dubai Financial Market and the London Stock Exchange in the form of a GDR.

It has been responsible for the creation of leading Middle Eastern financial institutions such as First Energy Bank, QInvest, and Khaleeji Commercial Bank. In addition, GFH has created a wide range of significant economic infrastructure projects across the MENA region and beyond.

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